Edward Smith Ufford Grave

Hymn History: Throw Out the Life Line & Author: Edward Smith Ufford

“Pastor Ufford had a great concern for the lost. He decided to put together a presentation that made use of his hymn … In 1902 he toured the world with this presentation. In Honolulu, Hawaii, he was privileged to hear his hymn sung in the native tongue.”
(Robert Cottrill)

The Origin of the Hymn “Throw Out the Life-Line”

“Throw Out the Life-Line” is one of the most stirring gospel hymns of the 19th century, written during a time of intense evangelistic fervor and missionary expansion. It combines vivid maritime imagery with a call to rescue perishing souls, capturing the urgency and compassion at the heart of Christian outreach. The hymn is the work of Edwin Smith Ufford (1851–1929), a Baptist minister and evangelist whose love for both the sea and the gospel gave birth to this unforgettable hymn.

The Man Behind the Hymn: Edwin Smith Ufford

Edwin S. Ufford was born on September 7, 1851, in Massachusetts, just a stone’s throw from Boston Harbor. The sea played a prominent role in his upbringing and would later serve as a metaphor for the spiritual themes he was so passionate about. In his youth, Ufford worked as a fisherman and sailor, skills that gave him a profound respect for the dangers and demands of the ocean. This sense of respect would later deepen into a spiritual metaphor.

Ufford felt the call to ministry in his early adulthood and was ordained as a Baptist minister. He served in churches in Massachusetts and Rhode Island before becoming involved in larger evangelistic efforts. His ministry became known for its emphasis on salvation and evangelism—particularly his heartfelt concern for those he regarded as being adrift on the turbulent waters of life without Christ.

A Sermon Turned Hymn

“Throw Out the Life-Line” was written in 1888, during Ufford’s pastorate at the First Baptist Church in Southbridge, Massachusetts. The origins of the hymn are rooted in both his maritime familiarity and his deep burden for lost souls. The story goes that Ufford was inspired after watching a life-saving drill along the Massachusetts coast. As he observed the lifeboat crew practicing their rescue techniques—throwing a lifeline to a man pretending to be drowning—he saw a vivid illustration of the Christian mission.

Ufford returned home deeply moved and penned the hymn in a single sitting. His words drew directly from the imagery he had witnessed:

“Throw out the life-line across the dark wave;
There is a brother whom someone should save;
Somebody’s brother! O who then, will dare
To throw out the life-line, his peril to share?”

This powerful refrain connected the peril of sailors facing death at sea with the spiritual peril of those living without Christ. Ufford saw the church as a kind of “life-saving station,” charged with the responsibility of reaching out to the lost.

Publication and Musical Setting

The hymn was first published in 1889 in a collection titled Songs of Redeeming Love. Unlike many hymn writers of the time, Ufford also composed the music to accompany his words. The tune is strong and rhythmic, resembling the call-and-response of a work song or a lifeboat crew coordinating their efforts. This marching quality reinforces the urgency of the hymn’s message, encouraging listeners and singers alike to take action.

The hymn quickly gained popularity among churches, especially in revival services and missionary gatherings. Its dramatic imagery and straightforward message made it especially effective in evangelistic settings. Even today, churches that hold to traditional worship styles still use “Throw Out the Life-Line” during missionary emphasis services or altar calls.

A Hymn of Urgency and Compassion

The language of Ufford’s hymn is direct and arresting. Rather than focus on personal devotion or theological reflection, the hymn is a rallying cry for Christians to bring the message of salvation to those “struggling in sin’s angry wave.” It evokes Scripture passages such as Jude 1:23 (“save others by snatching them out of the fire”) and Matthew 14, where Jesus rescues Peter from sinking in the stormy sea.

The hymn makes clear that evangelism is not a passive task but a life-and-death undertaking. As Ufford’s chorus declares:

“Throw out the life-line! Throw out the life-line!
Someone is drifting away;”

It is both a command and a reminder: time is short, and lives are at stake.

Legacy

Edwin Ufford continued his ministry into the early 20th century, eventually serving in leadership within the Baptist church and taking on editorial responsibilities for several Christian publications. He never wrote another hymn as widely sung as “Throw Out the Life-Line,” but this one memorable work secured his lasting place in gospel hymnody.

Often sung at missionary conventions or during “rescue mission” outreach, the hymn remains a potent reminder of the church’s calling to reach the lost—not just in distant lands, but across the street and in every corner of the world where the “dark wave” still threatens to sweep souls away.

In a world still filled with spiritual peril, Ufford’s clarion call continues to echo: the lifeline has been given—now throw it out.